Environmental and human health risks of potentially harmful elements in mining-impacted soils: A case study of the Angouran Zn-Pb Mine, Iran.

The soil pollution status, levels of exposure, and potential ecological and health risks to workers and residents by potentially harmful elements (PHEs) in the Angouran mining area (Iran), the biggest Zn-Pb mine in the Middle East, were studied. To this aim, topsoil (0-5 cm) samples (n = 63) from different land-uses were analyzed for their total PHEs concentrations. Mine worker's blood analysis and in vitro digestion extractions were applied in conjunction with human health risk assessment (HHRA) to assess the potential health impacts by exposure to PHEs.

Geochemical stability of potentially toxic elements in porphyry copper-mine tailings from Chile as linked to ecological and human health risks assessment.

The geochemical stability, in terms of potential mobility and derived ecological and human health risks of potentially toxic elements (PTEs), of diverse fresh and old porphyry Cu-mine tailings from Chile was assessed through an integrated methodology comprising four interrelated investigation levels: (1) chemical composition and contamination degree of tailings by PTEs, (2) mineralogical characterization by X-ray diffraction and quantitative automated mineralogy analysis by scanning electron microscopy (QEMSCAN), (3) partitioning and potential mobility of PTEs within the tailings by a sequential extraction procedure (SEP) and leaching tests, and (4) ecological risk assessment (ERA) and human health risk assessment (HHRA). According to pollution indices, Cu, As, Pb, and Mo are most concerning PTEs present in the tailings. SEP shows that major portion of the PTEs are strongly fixed as residual fraction, and thus are poorly mobilizable and bioavailable.